A Barb in the Plan
by DoubleBananaBabe
Summary: After the initial outbreak of Rage in England, Helena Packer must do the toughest thing to her: accept the inevitable and try to survive.
1. The Blueberry Enemy

Her legs were burning, her breathing was harsh and labored and there was a stitch in her side that hadn't gone away but Helena Packer continued to run. An enemy had come in the night wrapped in lies, betrayal, and deceit. Now, she had to reap what she had sown. Her speed increased, the shoes on her feet slapping onto the concrete in an exhausted rhythm, and her hopes on escaping the enemy disintegrated into a muddle of desperation. The enemy was everywhere around her.

"Stupid Helena," Helena scolded herself between heavy breaths," You could have ignored the temptation but instead you dove head first into it!"

And what was the enemy, this temptation that had driven her into a stupefied state of mind? Why, the blueberry pie that she had devoured thinking. It had been too delicious to have just one bite, too disrespectful to only have two pieces, and by the third, her tongue was dyed blue from the ripe berries. Just thinking about it made Helena want to drool in weakness.

_Damn that pie! Damn it to my stomach!_

She turned a corner onto a familiar street with cozy homes that looked perfect for a typical British family. The sun was barely rising, lighting the town with rays of hope and wonder for the new day. Yet, the sky looked as unpredictable as ever. If you didn't like the weather in England, just wait 10 minutes 'cause it was likely to change. Helena continued to run until the view of a tall cream coloured two-story house, elegantly hidden behind a hedged fence, with a sea of green grass barely visible. Slowing down because she had finally reached her home and she was tired, she turned onto the walkway of her beautiful house and for a second, thanked whatever god was up there she had gotten it. It was classy, yet not over posh, with windows displaying only enough of the modern interior to tease the occasional peeping tom. There was a lovely tree in the front yard that barely stood over the chimney, tall and green with life. Helena couldn't say what type of tree it was, but it was pretty. The slate coloured roof mixed well with the greying sky, giving the house a late 1800's look. Too beautiful and all hers. Oh, and Richard's as well.

The second she opened the white French doors and stepped onto the light hardwood floors, she was bombarded with the aroma of fresh coffee and cooking food. Her mouth filled with warm saliva as she walked toward the kitchen. She didn't even take notice of Zeus, her miniature shorthaired daschund, who yipped happily at her return from the cold outside. Zeus didn't like the cold weather, nor did he like when his mum came inside and brought the cold air in with her.

"I'm drooling, Richard!" Helena announced with a small smile as she stepped into the kitchen, sitting at a glass table with metallic looking legs. A man, obviously the one called 'Richard', looked over and smiled at her. He was not attractive but was not a hideous monster either. A tossled matt of unruly brown locks sat on top of his head, a chiseled face similar to that of a Greek statue was bright with intelligence, and a stomach too big for his otherwise lean body hung slightly over a pair of flannel pajama pants the colour of the ocean in the dead of night.

"Women usually say that when they see me like this. I'm a hunk!" he said with a hearty laugh before taking a waffle out of the waffle maker and setting it on a white china plate.

"Must be because its too dark to see the real you, yeah?" Helena added and the man laughed again.

"Its good enough for you, isn't it?" he replied back and sat the plate in front of her, quickly followed by a fork and a knife and a cup of steaming black coffee.

"I take a man home for the night, looking forward to some hot sex, and end up getting breakfast in the morning too? How lucky am I?" she asked sarcastically as she poured some sweet syrup onto the golden waffle.

"Don't forget the dinner!" he added and took a sip of his own coffee, this one with a pinch of sugar and just a hint of creamer.

"Yes, that why I went running. Haven't done that in a while and my heart nearly popped at the exercise!" she laughed and cut a piece of the waffle. Moving the fork with the piece of food attached to the end of it through the maple syrup, she looked up at Richard.

"Well, not everyone had the joy of having me around every night. You are a lucky woman, Helena."

"I am the only one that has the joy of having you around because I am the only one that puts up with you!" she joked with a laugh. He chuckled, obviously amused, and she took the opportunity to take the bite of her food without it getting cold. When it had reached into her mouth, her mouth watered all over again. The syrup had warmed to the waffle's warmth and now laced the waffle like icing on a cake. It was still warm after she chewed it and swallowed it, the sweet taste trickling down her throat. Delicious. Yet again. Stupid pie and waffles. And every other food that Richard made her when he felt like spoiling her.

"You should get ready for work. Not everyone is as perfect mentally as you," he said.

"Bloody hell! I was hoping that no one needed me today and I could stay here with you before you go back to London."

"Sorry, love! You could always strike. . . "

"No. Not good at making signs. Plus, walking around might make my feet hurt."

"Yeah, but wouldn't that help lose all that pie fat you are gonna gain?"

They both laughed in unison, his deep and hearty laugh entwined with her soft and delicate laugh. They had always been good together but neither of them really had the want or need to progress their relationship of two years. Not with his many scientific break-through or her needy patients. So, they just lived life, rolling with the punches and the sort together. It was like a marriage without the affairs, fights, and abstinence.

After taking only the smallest bites to prolong taking a shower despite the sticky feel of sweat, Helena stood up and headed to the bathroom. Richard would do the dishes, as usual. It was all a routine, all day. That's what Helena liked. Change, to her, was not good. Everything could stay the same if everyone just let it. Unfortunately living in a routine, a schedule, had its disadvantages. No longer did she feel the thrill of the unexpected, the occasional inevitable danger with risks, or the sudden spontaneous acts resulting in foolish behavior. But that was what was expected from her. Not everyone could be the therapist.

Like every other day, she disclothed, turned the shower on at a reasonable temperature, and felt the sudden cold of the water before it heated up to her specifications. Lavender shampoo made her auburn hair fill with soapy bubbles and the aloe vera body wash cleansed the filthy perspiration off of her skin that was the colour of Dove soap. She washed it off unconsciously and methodically before emerging from the shower, taking the time to grab a blooming rose hued towel to caress the moisture off of her body and hair. Within five minutes, Helena looked the part of the mature and sophisticated therapist. Her attire was a grey pencil skirt with a white cotton sleeveless turtleneck and finished with a pair of black pumps on her small feet. Her hair was brushed and reaching its full length, ending at the curve of her small breasts, and a pair of silver dangle earrings shimmered when she moved her head in the slightest way. A quick glance in the mirror told her she was ready to go. Unlike Richard, Helena was truly a gorgeous woman, but in an elegant way. Her lips were fair sized, her nose fitting perfectly on her soft yet mature face, and her olive eyes were bright and accented by her lovely locks of auburn silk.

"Oh Helena Jayne, you look delicious," she said to herself before walking out of the bathroom, down the stairs and into the well furnished modern living room where Richard sat watching the news. Richard looked uneasy. "Richard, are you alright?"

He looked up at her, brown eyes full of concern and anguish and. . . did that look like guilt?

"You mustn't go to work today. You need to stay here," said Richard simply.

"What on earth are you talking about?" she asked, starting to feel a bit uneasy herself.

"I need you to lock all the doors, Helena, and make sure all the blinds are closed. Then, go to the attic. I will be in there momentarily."

"Will you tell me what's going on?!"

"Helena. Now. It'll come quickly and we cannot let it in."

Quickly, he got up, turned off the telly and went to the kitchen. She didn't need to be told twice and quickly closed the blinds and checked the door out into the background. What was going to spread quickly? What shouldn't they let in? Better yet, why was Richard acting like a maniac? She moved through the house, closing doors and locking them then closing the blinds and curtains. Zeus must have felt the anxiety in the air, for he followed Helena throughout the house. When she finally got to the attic, Richard was already up there, messing with a small cell phone that he used to contact his colleagues. Helena knew that much. He summoned her in with his hand, pulling the door shut and locking it quicker then she had time to pick up Zeus and turn to him.

"Yeah. I know. It wasn't supposed to happen. I can't - Tom? Tom?! TOM! FUCK!" Richard cursed as he hung up the phone. He turned to Helena, who had Zeus clutched close to her breast and was staring at Richard with big olive eyes.

"What's going on?" she whispered, afraid to say anything louder incase Richard started to act insane again.

"Helena, I think you need to find a place to sit down. I have something to tell you." 


	2. A BARBaric Chimp

There was enough light to illuminate the attic. Raw and unpainted wood posts held up the roof with more support and the creek free wood floor was clean enough. Particles of dust float through the air like some sort of attic bug. Richard started his explanation with much hesitation.

"We were trying to create some sort of vaccine, some medication, to decrease anger in people. It could easily take away road rage, fights, and crimes. But it did the opposite and much worse. Tom and I were head of the experiment and witnessed far more then everyone else. When this vaccine entered the test chimps, they had spasms and seizures. Within 30 seconds, they had changed entirely. The chemicals all went to the brain causing so much anger, they were put at a vicious primal state."

Helena gulped and Richard continued.

"We don't know how or why they reacted in that manner. They were so focused on destroying everyone, they didn't bother to eat or drink or even take care of themselves. I remember this one chimpanzee. We called her Barb. She was always a sweetheart to Tom and me, but cruel to everyone else. We gave her the injection, hoping it would give her tolerance to other people. Instead, she thrashed around, screaming in anger but also in pain. We tried to days to reverse the reaction but when she got out one day, we knew we had to eliminate her before someone found her and was killed.

"Tom threw things at her, trying to knock her out. He believed she was a crucial piece to the development of this experiment. In truth, he just didn't want to kill her. I can't blame him, neither did I. Security came in though, and they shot her. Until she finally died, she had continued to try to get to us. We knew that if one chimp got out, just gone, it could spread the virus to all of England in a couple of days, two weeks top. We had extra security put at all entrances after we received threats from some animal activists."

Richard was trembling hard now and leaned back on the box where he was sitting. It was labeled "Helena's Books" in think and bold black ink.

"Then what happened?" she asked, holding a snoring Zeus in her arms with a hand croqueted blanket wrapped around her shoulders to warm her and the pup. Zeus' legs twitched lightly as he dreamed of chasing weasels and badgers.

"We got a call from the chimp room late in the night claiming that there was a break in. It was cute short. A monkey was released. All we know is - well - London is being attacked," Richard answered and looked out the small circular window at the grey sky. It was threatening to rain, as if someone upstairs was angered at the attempt to play God.

"By monkeys?!" questioned Helena in disbelief and Zeus' silver dappled head snapped up in surprise.

"No, no. The monkey infected anyone it came near. Tom was helping the police understand but - oh hell - I think I heard snarling and shrieking. Tom, in a well-supported opinion, may be just like Barb now. Just one bite, one drop of blood into another body, and they are screwed, Helena. Gone." 

She began to shake now, and not from the cold or the feeling of spiders lurking around.

"Hold could you do this? What's going to happen? Answer me, Richard!"

"I don't know." Shameful voice. "We thought it would help England and the good of the world. You remember when you went to the asylum to talk to the patients and when you came back, you were saying how much help they needed. You said some were angry, constantly, and no one could do a thing. We thought it would help." 

"It doesn't look like that's going to work!"

"I know, I know. I just - this wasn't supposed to happen."

He ran his hands over his face, this time twisted in guilt, and then through his untidy hair.

"Do we have food? Was there a safe place that you and Tom thought out?"

He shook his head and looked up at her.

"We have enough to last a couple of days. Tom and I, we were just so determined to make this work, that we failed to think anything out. I guess we just believed that it would work. Lemme tell you, ignorance is definitely not bliss. This isn't going as planned at all!"

"Clearly." 

There was a silence and Helena sighed. Feeling his owner's distress, Zeus woke up and looked at her with his big and grey eyes before licking her hand. Instinctively she scratched the pup's floppy ears, making him feel comfortable enough to sleep. It worked.

"I just don't know how this could have happened, Helena. Or why, for that matter. Why wasn't security watching the doors?"

"Wasn't there. How would I know?"

Richard could sense the hostility in that short answer, but why, he could only guess. As far as Helena was concerned, Richard had just killed England's people. It London was already getting attacked and Tom had gotten attacked when he was with the police, there was no doubt that the cops were in trouble as well. And that meant that help wasn't going to come for a while. The thought made her want to yell at Richard and Tom. They had created this, all with good intentions, but it had failed. Richard, her Richard, the man who she had lived with for two years and loved, was a murderer. He looked up at her and must have read her mind because he said," I didn't mean for it to go like this. I feel horrible."

"Are you reading my thoughts now? Is this another experiment that was supposed to end well?!"

"Of course not, Helena. Just reading your expression."

"Well, stop it!"

"Sorry, lov -"

"Don't call me that, Richard. Not now."

He bit his lower lip. He had screwed up but he didn't need Helena to rub it in. It just made him feel guilty and even a little frustrated.

"Why didn't you stop it? After Barb? You could have prevented it all." 

"'Cause this would have helped anger."

"Richard! I am a bloody therapist! I know when you are lying!"

"I did it for us, okay?! If I had made this a success, we could have lived better." His voice cracked and the guilt that Richard had been feeling was now on Helena. "I love you, Helena Jayne Packer, and I wanted to give you everything and more. The vaccine could have made me a well-established scientist and you could have stayed home instead of going to work everyday. I could have paid for you to live in luxury and stability. For heaven's sake, I wanted to marry you and watch you have my children."

His brown eyes were fixed on hers and even though he couldn't say it, she could feel the love, the support, the care.

"If that was a marriage proposal, Richard Thomas, you picked a terrible time." 

The small smirk on her face lightened the mood and he cracked a grin.

"And if that was a yes, you picked a long way to say it."

Her musical laugh danced to his ears and he smiled a little more.

"Get over here, you pain in the ass!"

Complying with her orders, he stood up and walked to her before sitting down next to her. She unwrapped the throw from a shoulder and helped him put it around his shoulders, while he took her into an embrace. Zeus made the adjustment, lying on Helena and Richard's lap.

"Its true Helena. I do love you," Richard said and buried his face into her hair, taking in the smell of her lavender shampoo. So sensual, yet so simple.

"I love you too, you fool."

She looked up at him and smiled. He kissed her lips, teasing the sweet lips that he had tasted so many times before. He never took it for granted though.

"Its cold in here," Richard simply stated.

"When this is all over, your wedding present could be a heater for this place." 

"How about for the engagement ring instead of the wedding present?"

"No, I want something on my finger to brag with."

"Oh yeah? How about I get it for the wedding gift and the ring and just blow your mind on our honeymoon?"

She smiled.

"Tough deal, but no. You could give me all that and something sparkly for my finger." 

"Deal." He chuckled. "Anything else?" 

"I've always wanted a pony!" She laughed and he chuckled again.

"I'll remember that."

He kissed her lips again and she kissed him back. The stubble across his jaw felt prickly against the soft palm of her hand as it traveled up into his tangled hair. Embracing her tighter at her action, he grazed the small of her back with his pinky finger and felt the material of her turtleneck. A year ago, he had gotten it for her for Christmas. It was her favourite top and it looked amazing on her. She pulled out slowly and looked up at him.

"Would it be silly to want some sex, even in this situation?" she asked.

"Course not!" he said with a smile and kissed her again, not holding back one bit of passion but not overdoing it either. Feeling her hands snake down his arms and sides sent a rush of excitement through his body and down to his lower half, more specifically, between his legs. Her touch, the elegance of her long fingers, was arousing and made him feel spectacular. But as quickly as the intimacy started, it ended.

"What the hell was that?!" she shouted as she pulled out of the kiss and his arms.

"My penis?" he asked sarcastically.

"Not funny. What was that sound?" she shouted again. He was taken back to where reality was knocking. He was at the world where he had just screwed over his friend, Tom, the great city of London, and his love, Helena.

"Just calm down."

"Why?! So that I don't bring something you've created up here?!"

"No. Zeus looks like he is going to piss his pants. . . well, his tail." Embarrassed at the fact that she had forgotten Zeus was on her lap, she looked down with her lip held between her teeth. "Plus, there was no sound. Its qui -"

A sound downstairs cut him off and Helena had an 'I told you so' look on her face.

"Heard it that time, Richard? Care to explain what it was?"

"I don't know what it was, but I have a feeling that we had less time then a couple of days before it got to us."

The look on his face told her all she needed to know.


	3. To Abandon a Swan

"Just to make it clear, I think this is the most stupid plan!" muttered Helena as Richard opened the attic door and peered down the wooden stairs.

"You've mentioned that, dear, but I would have thought you would think the whole experiment was the top on the stupid list," Richard responded back. The smirk on his face betrayed his inner feelings.

"Well, that was _before_ you decided to go downstairs to make sure everything was all right. If there is something down there, its not going to hesitate to kill you!" she caught his eye, giving him a hard look.

"Keep that cuddley attitude for when I get back, would you?" he asked sarcastically.

"Just be careful down there, would _you? _Just 'cause you think you are safe, doesn't mean you are."

"Nah. I thought i'd bake another pie while I was down there." He smiled and ran the back of his hand over her cheek. "Don't worry. I know what i'm up against."

"Did you think the same thing when you created this scientific apocolypse?"

"Don't hurt yourself with those big words!" He joked with a laugh.

"Oh, fuck you!"

"Promise?"

A laugh escaped from her lips and he smiled at her response. He loved her laugh. How it spilled from her lips like a small brook and sat in the air, brightening up anything.

"Don't keep me too long, k?"

"Course not! You have a promise to pull through with!"

With a quick, yet loving, kiss on her cheek, he walked down the stairs and opened the door onto the hall of the second level of the house. He looked back, gave a quick wink, and closed the door behind him.

"Be careful, you big oaf!"

Then, Helena clung Zeus to her breast, hoping and praying that it would help him before she turned back to her croqueted safety.

Everything seemed to be going in slow motion as Richard moved cautiously through the hall. Helena always said that the hall was like their personal museum. Framed paintings of graceful swans a top still lakes and seas in the calm of the storm lined the white walls. Personal photographs incased in a modern picture frame posed on a glass and metal end table that was placed under a window at the end of the hall. But, no picture or painting could ever, ever capture that chaos that they were feeling in England right now. No one could write out the words on a piece of paper, or a hundred pieces of paper. Helena hadn't seen anything, nor did Richard want her to. Her mind was fragile like the swan's neck in the painting. How it curled so its beak could touch its breast in a look of melancoly. One could see the loneliness in the way it hid it's face from the world, a realization of how deprived he was of the simple pleasures of company.

And Richard would not allow Helena to become that long swan, sitting and waiting for the simplest fact of knowing someone was there for her. Always. Is that what England was right now? That one swan? Surely, England's peers would come to their aid! It was inhuman to ignore them! Maybe they were frightened. They should be. They hadn't seen Barb charge at them with red eyes and beating hands. They hadn't heard the shrieks or the howls she, or the other chimps, emitted angrily. They hadn't felt the sheer pain from terror's dagger or the katauna of reality that picked at the raw skin. And they never would.

England was that swan. Perfectly contained in its own world away from everyone else. Its invisible walls were not the expensive frame Helena indulged in but the water that surrounded it.

"Bloody swan!" he cursed to himself.

A crash that came from what sounded to be their living room rang clear. It took a second for his body to turn rigid and another second for him to realize that if an infected persone came up the stairs, he would be a sitting duck. Or swan.

_Enough about the swans! They are just birds!_

Shaking his head to rid of his thoughts on his feathery nemesis, he went back to what he had come down here for. It wasn't to 'make sure everything was okay'. He had come for something else. Something that he would only understand the point of having. Perhaps Helena in due time. If time was on their side.


	4. Except Us

I apologize for the time it took for an update on this story but I have been writing another story at the same time and I kind of got carried away. : Not to mention, school is a bit of a bother and I had to focus at least SOME attention on good grades. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and you have my promise that I will update more often.

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Never before had silence been unnerving to Helena yet, as she sat in the chilly attic of her beautiful home, she shook her leg in impatience and anxiety. Down below her, the place where she had once felt security and peace, Richard moved through the rooms in an attempt to check the house. Did it not occur to him that perhaps nurturing her after his stupid experiment blew up in his face was an important thing?

Pulling her legs to her chest as best as she could, though difficult being as how Zeus slept peacefully in the crevice between her legs and chest, Helena looked down at the door. Nothing.

"Damn it, Richard. You better get your arse up here soon," Helena whispered, though in the back of her mind she knew that her whispers would never reach his ear. Zeus looked up curiously before closing his eyes again and resting his head on his paws. Sighing, Helena stroked the top of Zeus' head and pulled her attention away from the door to her small dog.

"You know, I thought dogs could detect supernatural things? You know, stuff that isn't in the normal world. What's wrong with your supernatural radar?" she said to him and lightly shook his body. Zeus again looked up, but this time didn't close his eyes. Instead, his ears perked up as he looked down to the door.

"You hear dad? Well, it better be him because if it isn't, I don't know who it could be. Didn't exactly send out invitations for people to come visit me in my attic," Helena said sarcastically before releasing her grip on Zeus and she stood up after he had hopped off of her lap.

Yet something didn't seem right.

Zeus' ears now pulled back slightly and his lips curled into snarl, his throat emitting a low growl of aggression. With widening eyes, Helena stepped back though her eyes never left the door.

"Zeus. Get back. Be quiet," Helena whispered again and beckoned him. Still, Zeus didn't look away, rather his ears pulled back against his head even more and his lips curled higher. Helena bit her lip, her teeth cutting softly into her lip, and crouched slightly.

Then, there was a loud 'BANG!' a thump, and the door opened.

In walked Richard, one hand holding a simple handgun that Helena had hated and in the other hand was a file and folder.

"If one got in, Helena, boxes aren't going to help you," Richard said light heartedly as he closed the door as quietly as possible.

"Yeah well, my weapon and protection left to get. . ." Helena glanced at the folder and file in his hand," . . . a folder? What happened to protection?"

"You said you didn't like it. Something about it feeling different."

"Richard! You know what I mean!"

"Oh calm down, Helena. Zeus had it under control, didn't you little man?" Richard said with a smile and bent down to give the dog a pat on the head. Helena sighed yet again and stood up.

"I thought you were checking the house. Protecting me and what not," Helena reminded and put her hands on her hips.

"Aren't I supposed to be the one overreacting about this? It's my career in jeopardy," Richard said with a smile and set the folder down.

"Not if your experiment eats all my clients!" Helena stated with a hint of fury in her voice. Now it was Richard's time to sigh, and he did so before walking over to her and putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Calm down. Breathe. Relax. Nothing will be improved by going bonkers," Richard said with a smile before kissing her cheek.

"Well, I am glad you are safe," she relaxed slightly but still gave him a cold stare. Zeus, on the other hand, wagged his tail and attempted to climb up Richard's leg, more then happy to see him.

"So am I. If I died, where would your protection be?" Richard said with a smile and bent over to pick up the overexcited pooch.

"So, what's with the folder and file?" Helena asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and nodded at the objects in his hand.

"Nothing important," he answered with a smile and kissed the dog lightly atop the head.

"Well, obviously it is if you risked your life to get it. What is it?"

"Stuff," he said again with a smile.

"Richard. Just tell me what is in the damn folder?"

"Paper," Richard stated simply. As quickly as she could, Helena uncrossed her hands and made a grab at the two things. Instead, Richard, much quicker then her, put Zeus in her hands and moved the stuff behind his back. Sighing in frustration, Helena rolled her eyes and stroked the dog.

"Fine, if you won't tell me, then I am going to ignore you," Helena announced and turned her back to him, walking to the window as proof of her new mission.

"Oh, Helena, now you are just acting immature," Richard laughed and walked behind her before resting his chin on her shoulder. She didn't say anything, just made a 'hm' noise, as if showing no interest in him. Smiling, he bit her neck and poked her side. Her body jumped in surprise but she still said nothing. Repeating these actions, he smiled wider. Now, Helena giggled.

A scream made its way into the attic, cutting through the chilly air as easily as a hot knife going through soft butter. The two bodies stopped their playful behaviour and froze. It was easy to tell where it came from and not even remotely difficult to tell what the screamer was feeling. There was pain in the scream, the sound waves from the screamer's throat revealing the pain and horror it must be feeling. Scanning the ground for the screamer, Helena gulped. Only now did she realize how quickly her town had gone from quiet and peaceful to utter chaos.

Doors hung open from the houses along the street and the two could see occasional figures running by the windows. Darting quickly through the street was a woman, with bed head blonde hair and pajamas included, and following just as fast after her was a man with the same colour of pajamas. It almost happened in a flash, how he caught up to her and tackled her to the ground, ripping out the back of her throat soon after. Her body jerked and jerked and then stopped.

"What the – She's dead. . ." Helena whispered, a fear of the same thing happening to her if her voice were any louder.

"Just watch," Richard said sympathetically.

"For what? Nothi – " Helena stopped immediately when she saw the body of the girl rise up and shake, blood shooting out far enough to land on the pavement. "Richard. . . What. . . I thought. . ."

"Rage. She's infected. And by the looks of it, so is everyone else," Richard answered.

"Except us."

Richard gave a nod in agreement.

"Except us."


	5. His Helena

Helena sighed

Helena sighed.

"Helena, love, you are sighing again," Richard pointed out and, to annoy him further, she sighed heavier and louder. "Is there something wrong?"

With a look of disbelief on her face, Helena gawked at Richard.

"Seriously? You are asking me if something is wrong when only TEN MINUTES ago, I watched someone be killed in front of my house. Not only killed and murdered, but come back FROM the dead! And you caused it!" Helena practically spat at him.

"Helena. Shh. Please. We don't want to alert them of our presence. Plus, they aren't dead. Just infected," Richard corrected, rubbing the side of his face in mental fatigue.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Helena said sarcastically. "Richard, an abomination is an abomination!"

"I don't want to get into this again," Richard complained.

"I don't give a damn what you want! Just because you don't want to talk about it, doesn't mean that it is going to disappear."

"I know that isn't going to happ-"

"You have created this apocalypse. You know what you are, Richard? You are a terrorist!"

"Helena. Quiet, please."

"And a murderer! And a –"

"Helena! Shut up!"

Though his voice wasn't loud, it was full of authority. Helena quickly silenced herself, not because of his order, but because of his nerve to command.

"Excuse me? Who the hell do you think you are?!" Helena demanded but Richard didn't answer. His face was bent into concentration and his eyes were closed. He looked almost to be listening for something.

"What is it?" she asked, suddenly worried.

Richard held up a finger to silence her, but she kept on.

"Richard? What – "

"SHH!"

Again, Helena silenced herself and turned her gaze to Zeus who was playing in the corner, probably with a spider.

Finally, Richard relaxed.

"My apologies, love. It's just. . . I thought I heard something downstairs and I didn't want it to follow your voice," Richard explained.

"Uh hu," Helena replied simply. "Is that an excuse to leave me again to get something else?"

Now, it was just Richard's turn to sigh.

"You are acting bipolar. One second you are being nice and sweet and the next, the horns are out," Richard stated and let his head fall back onto the wall.

"Oh! Now, you are calling me bipolar? That is a really good way to get yourself ignored, Richard," Helena warned, looking at him in disbelief. Feeling the tension in the room again, Zeus moved away from its small black play buddy and moved to Richard, placing himself on his lap to demand attention.

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"Let's not do this, please?"

"Oh, bugger off, Richard!" Helena exclaimed and looked down at down at her black pumps. She loved those shoes. If they got ruined by this adventure, she would really have to kick Richard's arse, preferably with her stilettos. His cheeks would end up looking like swiss cheese.

"I'm just – "

"Richard! Honestly!" Helena interrupted and looked at him with annoyance on her face.

"Fine, fine. I'll be quiet," he surrendered and began to pet Zeus' head and small body. He didn't know why Helena acted the way she did. She was safe. The attic wasn't the ideal haven, but it was better than nothing at all. It was definitely better than being Bed Head woman who was now walking the streets in search of an innocent person to mutilate. She had Zeus who, though he wasn't housebroken yet, could put a smile to anyone's face and she had him, Richard. She wasn't alone; she had company.

As Richard thought, a bang sounded through the attic.

"What the hell?" Helena asked silently. "Where did that come from?"

Richard shook his head, hoping that it would sound again so he could locate the area of the noise yet praying it didn't for fear it was too close. The source of the noise obeyed his hopes instead of prayers by a banging on the door of the attic.

Bang. Bang! BANG!

The banging turned into a rapid succession of pounding and, as it became faster and more determined, Helena's face fell.

"They found us," Richard stated simply and looked at the door. Though the door was strong, it wouldn't hold through the unyielding beating of the infected.

"What do we do? We can't just sit here!" Helena asked, her voice showing the terror that she felt, and she looked at Richard. Richard looked around for a second, then thought of something.

"I have an idea," he exclaimed. Standing up and moving toward the stacks of boxes, he started to pile them up far enough from the wall to place someone rather uncomfortably.

"What is the idea?" Helena asked though she probably already had an idea.

"You are hiding. I'll sidetrack them, ok?" Richard answered and continued to stack them up on top of each other. He beckoned her over, placed her behind the boxes, and started to stack them against the wall on the side of her so she was encased with boxes. "Squat down. And hold Zeus to you. Make sure you don't let him make any noise. At all. Be quiet. Don't make a sound either. If you make a sound, it'll ruin this whole plan."

Helena nodded in understanding, proving it by holding Zeus tighter. The boxes were getting tall, tall enough for Richard to lift higher and reach high enough to his chest. Then, he took the blanket the Helena had been cuddling under earlier and draped it across the top.

"The won't see you. They can smell, but I'd be there to keep your scent minimal. Now, if you just keep quiet, still, and don't do anything stupid, you will be safe," Richard explained and patted the boxes as reassurance.

"What about you?" Helena asked, her voice slightly muffled by the boxes and blanket.

"Then, I want you to run to the garage. Don't stop or look around. Don't let anything sidetrack you. Don't let anything touch you. I'll tell you when to run."

"Why can't I just stay here?" Helena asked.

"Because the infected can sense the blood and before I came in here, I killed an infected right outside the door. They tracked the dead infected to the door," Richard answered.

"Where will you be?" she asked.

"Getting the infected away from you."

"But, Richard," Helena asked and stood up, pushing the blanket off of the top to look at him. "What about you? Will you meet me in the garage?"

Richard took a second to reply back.

"Helena, to me, your safety is more important than mine. If I can keep you safe, then I will be happy."

The words hit her and she started to tear up.

"Keep me safe by being alive."

"Love, just follow my rules," Richard replied and as he went to go push her down and put the blanket over the top again, she grabbed his hand and kissed him.

"Please. Don't leave me."

"I'll meet you in the garage."

"Promise?"

"I love you, wife."

"I love you, husband."

A quick hand squeeze, a kiss, and then Helena was back under the blanket. It was then, as she was under the blanket with Zeus in one arm, that Richard had slipped the gun into her hand. Though she denied it in her head, she knew in her heart that she had just seen Richard for the last time.

Outside of the box, he walked toward the door cautiously but not slowly. His lips still tingled from when Helena kissed him and he fought back the tears. She was down one companion, but at least she had Zeus.

His hand reached out and opened the door, quick enough to stun the infected long enough for him to push his way through. Running down the hall toward the bedroom, the infected started after him immediately, taking the opportunity at a normal human being to tear apart effortlessly and emotionlessly.

As he ran, he noticed his legs were burning.

_Hm. I should have worked out with Helena. Too late._

The infected were gaining on him, proof of Richard's activity level, and he ran into the bedroom. He didn't close the door immediately, but waited for the infected to enter before he did.

They were on him like flies on shit, tearing at his body with their fingers and biting his flesh off without any problem.

"Helena! Run!" He yelled at the top of his lungs but he was unable to say anymore as the infected tore out his throat. All attempts to yell to her were drowned out in gurgling blood.

His veins started burning up, feeling like the blood had been replaced with flames, and his head was pounding. The muscles in his body were tensing up so much, he was getting cramps. He didn't need to be told he was dying of blood loss as he watched the blood pour, literately POUR, out of his neck. The world was getting dizzy and confusing, yet he was relaxed mentally. He died saving Helena, his life for her safety. And little Zeus'.

His last thoughts before he died were simple. It was the only thing that he had been thinking about for two years.

He died thinking of her. His love. His soul-mate. His only one. His Helena.


	6. Separation

Ok

Ok. I think I am doing something I shouldn't be, because every time I send something in, the first line gets repeated. If you have any idea why or you know how to stop it, tell me. Please and thank you. :

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Helena had to catch her breath but that would involve stopping, which would involve breaking the rules that Richard had gave her. Plus, it was hard to run with a dauschund banging into her boob every time her foot landed. Horrible. The gun in her hand was oddly warm and there was an odd mixture of safety and fear at the thought of holding it.

She ran into the kitchen, ignoring the dishes in the sink that made her think of Richard and the feeling of long lost normality, and opened the door that lead into the garage.

The room was familiar, a room she used and saw everyday. The black sedan was sitting in the middle of the garage because it was Monday. Richard always parked the car in the garage on Friday so that it was out of the way for the whole weekend. Only on Monday mornings did he take it out.

Thinking of Richard made her eyes tear up, so she looked around the room to take her mind off of him.

The washer and dryer were against the same wall as the door into the kitchen and to her left. If she was correct, her weekend clothes were still in there, a combination of sweats, giant t-shirts, and underwear. The toolbox was on the wall parallel to the washer and dryer and filled with tools too old for cavemen to use. Richard always liked tools, but never used them. He thought that just the idea of owning them made him feel more like a man. The beer and the bottled waters were stacked side by side next to the tool case. They weren't cold, but they'd do.

She grabbed the keys that were hanging on the wall next to the door and unlocked it manually with the key, fearing that using the button would alert the infected of her presence. When the door was open, she put Zeus on the passenger seat and then walked to the packages of bottled water (just three in total) to put them in the car. She picked up a case, moved back to the driver's side, and put it on the floor of the passenger seat. Zeus sniffed the plastic wrapper as Helena went around to get the other two cases.

Finished with putting Zeus and water in the car, she sat down on the driver seat, put her hands on the wheel, and cried. Cried for this disaster, cried from fear, and cried for Richard. She loved him. Why did he have to go? Why couldn't he be ok and be with her?

The tears burned her eyes and wet her cheeks, yet she couldn't stop. She shouldn't be alive. She should be with Richard, dead in each other's arms. That is how it is supposed to end. Isn't that how people in love died?

A nudge on her hand with a cold wet spot took her from her depressing thoughts. Zeus looked up at her, his eyes wide and the whimpering in his throat growing progressively louder.

"Oh, Zeus. Daddy won't be coming back," Helena explained and pulled Zeus onto her lap. "It is just us."

The statement triggered something inside Helena, a strength in which she hadn't felt in a long time, and she wiped the tears off of her cheek with the back of her hand. Her next movements were quick. She put the keys into the ignition, started the car, pushed the button to open the garage door, and drove in reverse out of the garage. Not to brag, but Helena could drive well when fast; Richard had always told her that. As soon as she was out of the driveway, she put the car into forward and sped off.

"See Zeus? All we have to do is go . . ." She stopped mid-sentence. Where was she going? How long would it take? Did she forget something Richard had told her?

"All we have to do is drive," she finished, half-heartily, and drove down the street. The separation of her and the place where Richard died was actually comforting, despite the fact she had thought it would be horrendous, and she felt herself gain more composure at the thought that she was distancing herself. Hadn't she always told her patients that?

_Never dwell on the sadness if it means the reversal of healing. Instead, acknowledge what has happened and go forward into your remaining life._

And she was doing that. The acknowledgement of Richard's passing made her put her foot down on the gas pedal, putting more distance between her and Richard's corpse and the slight trail of the infected.


	7. Thoughts of a Therapist

So, perhaps I am not the best person to give out promises. Again, my apologies for the lack of updates recently. Being as it is my last year in high school, I really have to focus on grades and all that. So, I really haven't had the time to sit my butt down and write. I really hope those that read this story are happy with this chapter and I really hope ya'll don't hold it against me cause I haven't posted anything. Thanks for reading! :]

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"Bastard!"

Helena slammed her foot down on the gas pedal. The infected only had so much time before he was a mere bug on the windshield.

There was a thump, a splatter of blood upon the window, and a bang as the infected bounced off the roof and landed in the street behind her. With exuberance, Helena shouted in delight and looked at Zeus.

"Did you see that, baby boy? We got him, we got him for daddy!" she smiled with pride and looked back at the street.

_If someone asked me how long I have been driving, I could honestly say I don't know. An hour? Definitely more than that. Or perhaps it only has been ten minutes. The devastation of Richard's death has numbed my body and mind. I have become emotionless. Impossible. If I were emotionless, wouldn't that mean I felt nothing when I ran over those infected and crushed their bones with my hood? _

_Oh. Too graphic, Helena. Just because you live in a world with death does not mean you can become a woman with cheap disturbed thoughts. _

With a quick glance, she looked down at the gas level quickly before looking up. She had been driving for approximately 40 kilometers and her car got 7.23 kilometers per liter. . .

Her head suddenly hurt. Being a therapist didn't require multiplication and conversion skills. That wasn't her line of work. She was only a therapist. Not a psychiatrist.

_But now that England has just had its balls handed to them in a bag, perhaps I don't have to work anymore. I can use my degree and knowledge to prevent my own insanity. _

_Prevent it? Perhaps I already am? But how is that possible after only 40 kilometers and 7.23 kilometers per liter. . . And. . ._

"Oh Zeus. My head feels like someone is banging it against a concrete wall," Helena mumbled more to herself than her canine companion. "You think with the apocalypse, there would be more to worry about than headaches."

She closed her eyes for a second to massage the bridge of her nose, right below her eyes. She needed a tension reliever. Or, a don't-think-too-much reliever.

"Give me normality. I can't believe I am saying this but I wish I had more normal, no thrill life. I wish. . ."

Opening her eyes again, she looked out the wind shield.

No reflex was quick enough to swerve out of the way before her car collided with the wrought iron gate. The car spun at the impact, sending Helena flying into the window. She could feel Zeus' panic and almost taste her own fear. Yet she didn't feel frightened. Her mind was floating atop a peaceful lake, her thoughts as calm as a swan in the evening. Hadn't Richard said something about swans when she got the painting in the hall? Hadn't he called them vicious little buggers?

"My childhood pet was killed at a swan park. The day after, all the swans had disappeared," she recalled him saying and could almost see him stirring his afternoon tea as he talked about his long deceased pet.

The car hit a brick building and her head was violently slammed on the window. The world was fading, blackness was replacing reality. It was warm. Nice and warm. Calm. Relaxed.

Had the car stopped? Maybe. Zeus was barking. Couldn't he stop? She wanted to sleep. Why wouldn't he sleep too? Richard would let her sleep. And he'd sleep right next to her.

A face appeared in front of her, hair the colour of bright purple.

"Richard," she sobbed, the tears blocking her vision further. "You're not Richard. I just want . . . my Richard back."

And then everything was enveloped in darkness. 


End file.
